These worm-like organisms have an incredibly fearsome and completely well-founded reputation for sucking entire humans dry to their last drop. Corpses are frequently found along the marshlands, skin white as marble and an 8 inch wide suckhole on their torso. When these things feast on you, they swell up to over twice their girth, like thick, monstrous shiny black sacs with a stubby tail. One thing's for sure; doctors that promote leech courses have never seen one of these before.

A black leech, often called blood devil, is an about 3 feet long, 1 feet thick creature with a completely, inky black skin. It weighs about 40 pounds and is parasitic. A black leech can also extract oxygen from water, allowing it to exist underwater indefinitely. They feed off the blood of living beings. Even one of these can be quite dangerous, if an adventurer lets down his guard.

A black leech attacks by either thrusting forward at a victim from the ground or letting itself fall down from the ceiling overhead on top of the unwary. This is a touch attack and can target only Small or larger creatures, although it prefers prey of at least Medium size. If a black leech attacks by letting itself fall down from an overhang, branch or ceiling, it counts as a charge, giving the black leech a +2 to its attack roll. A black leech gains Weapon Finesse and Toughness as bonus feats.

Adhere to Surface (Ex): A black leech has a slimy, suctiony body that adheres to any surface, allowing them the ability to move over perfectly sleek, vertical surfaces and even ceilings as per the spider climb ability, except that its climb speed is 15 ft.

Anticoagulant (Ex): With a successful touch attack, the black leech sinks its anticoagulant-laced jaws into a victim, a natural mechanism to keep the blood flowing. When a black leech is made to detach from its pray, the target must succeed on a Fortitude saving throw (DC 14) or take 1d4 points of damage at the start of every round. The victim gets a new save every round, but the wound stops bleeding only when the drained creature succeeds in a saving throw or when lesser restoration or a higher level cure or restoration spell is used.

Attach (Ex): If a black leech hits with a touch attack, it uses its circular mouth to latch onto the opponent's body. An attached black leech is effectively grappling its prey. The leech loses its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class, but holds on with great tenacity. Black leeches have a +12 racial bonus on grapple checks. An attached black leechcan be struck with a weapon or grappled itself. To remove an attached black leech through grappling, the opponent must achieve a pin against the leech.

Blood Drain (Ex): A black leech drains blood, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution damage in any round when it begins its turn attached to a victim. Once it has dealt 8 points of Constitution damage, it detaches and slithers off to digest its meal. When full, the black leech takes a penalty of 5 ft. to its movement and it loses the ability to climb.

Skills: When hidden in darkness, a black leech gains a +8 racial bonus on Hide checks.